Chapter 15

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The next day Raavi's world came crashing down on her.

In the morning, as Raavi was setting up breakfast for everyone in the family, her Maasi walked in with a stranger, a female stranger to be precise. Prafulla sauntered in and said, "Ye ladki Pandya Niwas ke taraf aa rahi thi. Main ne socha main hi madad karke isse sahi jagah pauncha doon. Kal raat ko iss gaali se ajeeb awazein aayi... ye colony ka koi bharosa nahi," Looking down at their meal, she said to the girl, in a stage voice, "Ye sab khana, Pandya Store ke tel se banta hai. Pann mere paas ne, woh organic tel hai..."

Raavi yelled, 'NO!!" to which everyone looked her in surprise. She looked at Shiva in shock and ran back to the kitchen.

"Ye Raavi mujhe dekhe kyun bhaagi, bhai? Aay Junglee Bhaloo, tune kuch kiya mere phool ko?" said Prafulla suspiciously.

Shiva hastily got up and ran to the kitchen, muttering "main pooch ke aaya." Shiva met Raavi in the kitchen, nibbling on her lower lip and looking cute. She looked up at him, they both simultaneously said,

"I shouldn't have yelled",

"Tera dimag toh theek hai?"

"Main Maasi ko kabhi bhi wohi naazar se nahi dekh paungi" said Raavi fervently.

"Tere saare gharwalon ka ek screw loose hai kya?" commented Shiva.

They looked at each other and burst out laughing. Just then, Dhara came into the kitchen, "tum dono haste bahut aache lagte ho... pann kyun haas rahe ho?" Shiva shook his head to indicate it would take too long to explain.

"Chalo, maa bula rahi hai" said Dhara, smiling and shaking her head at her bacchas.

When they went back to breakfast, Suman dropped the big bombshell. The strange girl with Prafulla was Disha #2 aka Dishu was introduced to the family, as Shiva's prospective second wife. Instead of a cranky, stuck-up TV soap villain, this woman was a perfectly nice, pretty lady, who understood Shiva's situation, and his background. She revealed that Shiva's Rishta had come to her last year, and she had liked him then, but due to financial constraints she couldn't get married. Now that the relationship came to her again, she would pursue it. She even called him a real-life hero. Meeting her filled Raavi with dread and apprehension. She was sweet and spoke so well that it made Raavi want to lash out in pettiness.

Prafulla, predictably, also announced she would find a groom for Raavi, who was better than Dishu. Unable to take in the unfairness of it all, Raavi ran away to the kitchen before she threw herself on the floor and started crying.

Shiva felt a headache come on and it was only 9 AM. He didn't want to deal with Dishu, he just wanted to eat breakfast in peace, was that too much to ask?

Rishita looked at Dhara in panic and dismay. This wasn't supposed to happen. Weren't these two supposed to remember their high school days, get back together, and forget this whole third angle nonsense?

"Bhabhi, ye maa ne kya story shuru kiya?" looking at Disha in horror, as she settled in for breakfast. "Pata nahi, Rishita. Raavi ko dekho, jaale hue theple ki tarah muh hai uska," said Dhara worriedly as Raavi came out of the kitchen looking surly and petulant.

"Ay Raavi, Disha ko theple de!" said Suman.

"Aur banana padega, Kaki. Shiva, ek kaam kar, apne hisse ka de do, main tujhe bacha hua baingan aur bread deti hoon," said Raavi in her best sugar-wouldn't-melt-in-my-mouth voice.

"Arey nahi... that's ok!" said Dishu looking around awkwardly.

"Nahi nahi, mehman bhagwan hota hai, aur tum toh biwi no 2, ho. Trust me, Shiva ke taraf se no problem. Here take his Rabari, as well," said Raavi as everyone watched in horror, as Shiva scowled. Everyone knew not to come between Shiva and his dessert. His dessert being exchanged for f**king eggplant.

Pandya Store - Shiva Raavi  (ShiVi) FF- My North StarWhere stories live. Discover now